QHCA 2013 Award

Climate Partners received the Quality Home Comfort Award for 2013 after proposing a whole-house comfort approach regarding energy-efficient solutions. In comparison to other contractors up for the award, Tom Casey Jr., a multiple QHCA winner, appraised the state of the HVAC industry and its future - total home performance. Unlike quality firms and contractors who delivered a mechanical solution, Tom Casey introduced the thoughts regarding insulation, drafts, and efficiency issues, as well as anything else that could stand in the way of a home reaching total home comfort levels with energy-efficiency in mind.

Tom Casey Jr. performed a home energy audit on John Goodred's newly purchased 5,500 square foot home in Stamford, CT, measuring all airflow and infiltration. Basic energy improvements were made on the spot including CFL lighting upgrades, water conservation measures, and recommendations regarding the home's HVAC systems. The homeowners wanted an eco-friendly HVAC, but until Tom Casey introduced the whole-home approach, they hadn't considered every aspect of the home, so they created a redesign.

The top priority was to make core improvements to reduce how the owners used, lost, and wasted energy. The second priority was to upgrade the existing systems for improved comfort, efficiency, and air quality. The Climate Partners whole-house approach included an attic renovation and encapsulation, basement renovations, and retrofit to eliminate the space's uncontrolled infiltration. It also included a renovation and retrofit of the garage that had an exposed duct from the attic that allowed direct communication from the garage to both the bedroom and office above. Once all work was completed, a system upgrade was done on the HVAC.

Upon completion of the entire project, a quality assurance was performed to verify that all systems and components performed up to Climate Partners high standards. Follow-up inquiries were also made w/ both homeowners to confirm satisfactory operations. This project is an example of the successful merger of energy-efficiency programs with integrated whole-home solutions that extend beyond the boxes. Other contractors proposed mechanical HVAC solutions only, ignoring any bigger issues that could drive the comfort and energy efficiency of a home.

Integrated solutions are the future of quality home comfort, because professional turnkey solutions must be integrated across all the clients' goals and objectives. Quality home comfort is a whole home solution that's aligned with the clients' must-have's.